iPad as a laptop replacement

[bondr006]

He said he was in the market for an iPad, and asked for a recommendation between the two iPads he was looking at. He wasn’t asking about MacBook Airs. So, respectfully, it was your comment that was not applicable…

You say "And I need something reliable to use on the go, that isn't super heavy."

A MacBook Air would certainly do the job and more. But if your mind is made up 100%, enjoy whichever iPad you choose

Just edited my comment to clarify, I need it to be touch and smaller than my actual Pro. The 11' are perfect.
I know the MacBook would be amazing, but I just can't afford both and I need the tablet

When @Expos of 1969 responded to @rletras , rletras had not yet clarified he was only interested in an iPad.😉

 

[Ludatyk]

I’m pretty happy with where Stage Manager is currently. 👍🏻. One thing that I do think would be nice would be if the Control Center could be displayed on an external monitor, as well as the Notification Center. Currently, when you hover over those on the external monitor, the cursor highlights the buttons, but when you click on them, they open on the iPad’s display, which can be somewhat jarring. Clamshell mode or the lack thereof doesn’t really bother me, but it does some others, so I would probably add that to my list as well. Oh, and the ability to create window groups, maybe even be able to assign them to a focus. To where you could basically have a custom group of app windows that pop up with either a Siri Shortcut, or a focus mode. I don’t know how much I’d end up using it, but I think that could be pretty cool. 👍🏻. Siri Shortcuts can already open a split view with two predefined apps, so I think a Stage with predefined apps would make sense as an additional Siri Shortcut option.

Really though, I’m pretty happy with where it currently is. I’m not one of those people upset for some odd reason that app windows kind of snap on an invisible grid. I actually really like that behavior vs the way macOS handles it. With macOS, it feels like once I bump a window it will never be centered ever again, where with iPadOS, it’s much easier to get an aesthetically pleasing workspace (which to me as a designer and stickler for aesthetic is a nice added touch). It just feels less cluttered and chaotic. And I likewise am perfectly happy with 4 windows on the screen at a time. More than that would likely feel extremely cramped on my iPad. I mean, if they want to add the option to have more than four app windows at a time in a stage I won’t complain, but I’m hardly pining for it either. I’ve never really wanted to clutter my screen with dozens of app windows simultaneously.

Overall, I don’t really think there would be a lot I’d want Apple to change about it, and if Apple never changes anything else about Stage Manager, I won’t be upset. I think Stage Manager has the perfect balance of flexibility and order. I really don’t understand how people claim it’s “unintuitive” and “useless”…. Probably the change I’d like to see the most would be the Control Center behavior on external monitors, and that’s not that big of a deal. 👍🏻

Well, I use Stage Manager on the regular! For the most part, I share the same experience with you... I enjoy it. But I'd be lying to you if I was to say I won't be upset if nothing changes because it desperately needs more imrovements.

On the limited window topic, I am in agreement with you... allowing more windows will make it seemed more cramped. However, when plugged into a monitor... we should have the ability to add more windows. So, I'd like Apple to unlock more windows for external monitor support. The M1+ iPads should be more than capable of handling it.

I'm not bothered by the the lack of clamshell mode... I actually think it's nice to have the iPad opened, it has a touch-screen unlike the MacBook. Not sure why folks would want it closed.... maybe on a battery-life standpoint. But I don't think it's a priority. I think its more of a "oh it has it on the Macbook it shoud be on the iPad as well" kind of a thing.

I believe Apple should revamp App Exposé (or remove it completely), especially when Stage Manager is enabled... because we can't really make changes in that mode. I recall having a discussion with another member in this community... they are accusomted to rearranging windows in App Exposé. And when Stage Manager is enabled... it's impossible to do.

I told the user they need to rely on the Recent App on the right side to multitask and rearrange windows, but I have to admit the touch targets are small especially if you have 2 or more in a group. I would have to open the "Stage" and remove an app/window group from it... if I want to modify it. I believe Apple needs to address this. Because it should be easy to manage windows in the Recent App area.

Another improvement, really not anything major. But I'd like the ability to place a different wallpaper on the external monitor. I'm big on personalization/customization... so I dislike that we can't have two different wallpapers when plugged into a monitor. Should be an easy thing to address.. but I'd like to see this improvement.

Now let's go ahead and discuss the elephant in the room... simultaneously audio app playback. This most certainly needs to happen when Stage Manager is enabled. The fact that we can have 4 windows on display... have a video playing from YT and then audio from podcast or a music app gets paused. Yeah, we need that addressed.

And I have to take a step back to understand that not too many people really multitask from the iPad... most iPad users take the "single app at a time" approach, that's why I can understand Apple reluctant to add simultaneously audio playback. But I think Stage Manager changes the dynamics... not sure when it will be added, but I have a feeling we get this feature in the next 2 or 3 years.

One more thing, maybe changes to the dock... ability to change the size of it. And yeah, I agree... the control center behavior on external monitors should be fixed.

 

[Kal Madda]

When @Expos of 1969 responded to @rletras , rletras had not yet clarified he was only interested in an iPad.😉

I think there’s general confusion about this, but I read the comment before the OP’s edit, and he was still talking about being back to the iPad Pro and trying to decide between the M1 iPad Pro and the M2 iPad Air. As far as I’m aware, the only edit he made was at the end of his first paragraph, but there were two other paragraphs to that comment specifically referencing returning to the iPad Pro as an option, and trying to decide between the M1 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air. Maybe there was a yet older version of the comment that didn’t have this part, but I was active in the thread when that comment came in, and I’m pretty sure that part was always part of the comment. But maybe I missed something… 🤷🏼‍♂️

 

[bondr006]

I think there’s general confusion about this, but I read the comment before the OP’s edit, and he was still talking about being back to the iPad Pro and trying to decide between the M1 iPad Pro and the M2 iPad Air. As far as I’m aware, the only edit he made was at the end of his first paragraph, but there were two other paragraphs to that comment specifically referencing returning to the iPad Pro as an option, and trying to decide between the M1 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air. Maybe there was a yet older version of the comment that didn’t have this part, but I was active in the thread when that comment came in, and I’m pretty sure that part was always part of the comment. But maybe I missed something… 🤷🏼‍♂️

I guess the part that struck me most is that @rletras himself understood and edited his own post for clarification.

Just edited my comment to clarify, I need it to be touch and smaller than my actual Pro. The 11' are perfect.
I know the MacBook would be amazing, but I just can't afford both and I need the tablet

 

[rletras]

Sorry guys, I see that I've created some confusion
I edited just to clarify, but never asked for nothing else than an ipad. My doubt is just which ipad to get.
And like I said, MacBook is an amazing option, but not for someone that needs touch like me

 

[Kal Madda]

Well, I use Stage Manager on the regular! For the most part, I share the same experience with you... I enjoy it. But I'd be lying to you if I was to say I won't be upset if nothing changes because it desperately needs more imrovements.

On the limited window topic, I am in agreement with you... allowing more windows will make it seemed more cramped. However, when plugged into a monitor... we should have the ability to add more windows. So, I'd like Apple to unlock more windows for external monitor support. The M1+ iPads should be more than capable of handling it.

I'm not bothered by the the lack of clamshell mode... I actually think it's nice to have the iPad opened, it has a touch-screen unlike the MacBook. Not sure why folks would want it closed.... maybe on a battery-life standpoint. But I don't think it's a priority. I think its more of a "oh it has it on the Macbook it shoud be on the iPad as well" kind of a thing.

I believe Apple should revamp App Exposé (or remove it completely), especially when Stage Manager is enabled... because we can't really make changes in that mode. I recall having a discussion with another member is this community... they are accusomted to rearranging windows in App Exposé. And when Stage Manager is enabled... it's impossible to do.

I told the user they need to rely on the Recent App on the right side to multitask and rearrange windows, but I have to admit the touch targets are small especially if you have 2 or more in a group. I would have to open the "Stage" and remove an app/window group from it... if I want to modify it. I believe Apple needs to address this. Because it should be easy to manage windows in the Recent App area.

Another improvement, really not anything major. But I'd like the ability to place a different wallpaper on the external monitor. I'm big on personalization/customization... so I dislike that we can't have two different wallpapers when plugged into a monitor. Should be an easy thing to address.. but I'd like to see this improvement.

Now let's go ahead and discuss the elephant in the room... simultaneously audio app playback. This most certainly needs to happen when Stage Manager is enabled. The fact that we can have 4 windows on display... have a video playing from YT and then audio from podcast or a music app gets paused. Yeah, we need that addressed.

And I have to take a step back to understand that not too many people really multitask from the iPad... most iPad users take the "single app at a time" approach, that's why I can understand Apple reluctant to add simultaneously audio playback. But I think Stage Manager changes the dynamics... not sure when it will be added, but I have a feeling we get this feature in the next 2 or 3 years.

One more thing, maybe changes to the dock... ability to change the size of it. And yeah, I agree... the control center behavior on external monitors should be fixed.

I think those things make sense. I guess I don’t normally think about multiple simultaneous audio streams as being a Stage Manager improvement as much as an iPadOS improvement, as I would imagine it would probably have its own dedicated settings. But I do agree with you that that could be a nice option in combination with Stage Manager.

I also didn’t think about the window limit on the external monitor. To be honest, I don’t consider the windowing limit that often, because even on my desktop monitor and even when using my Mac Mini I tend to keep app windows organized in tidy little stages with around 3-4 app windows at most, but most of my design software’s I like to run full screen or at most split-screen with another photo app or something for reference. But I guess it wouldn’t necessarily feel as cramped on an external monitor. 👍🏻

I don’t think I have any real disagreements with that list. 👍🏻

 

[Ludatyk]

I think those things make sense. I guess I don’t normally think about multiple simultaneous audio streams as being a Stage Manager improvement as much as an iPadOS improvement, as I would imagine it would probably have its own dedicated settings. But I do agree with you that that could be a nice option in combination with Stage Manager.

But I believe Apple will keep the feature locked to Stage Manager and be exclusively for M1+ iPads. That's why I noted... most iPad users don't really multitask. I think if users have Stage Manager enabled... they are more likely to multitask.

I also didn’t think about the window limit on the external monitor. To be honest, I don’t consider the windowing limit that often, because even on my desktop monitor and even when using my Mac Mini I tend to keep app windows organized in tidy little stages with around 3-4 app windows at most, but most of my design software’s I like to run full screen or at most split-screen with another photo app or something for reference. But I guess it wouldn’t necessarily feel as cramped on an external monitor. 👍🏻

I don't often push the limit on my setup... I use a 15-inch portable display for external monitor support, so it's not like I have a large monitor to work with (keep the ultra-wide monitor for the Mac).

 

[Kal Madda]

Sorry guys, I see that I've created some confusion
I edited just to clarify, but never asked for nothing else than an ipad. My doubt is just which ipad to get.
And like I said, MacBook is an amazing option, but not for someone that needs touch like me

No worries, I hope you find an iPad that suits your needs! Feel free to ask if you have any other questions. 👍🏻. Also, I write a SubStack, and most of my content is geared toward the iPad since I use my iPad as my primary computer, so if you’re interested, you can find some of my work there. I just wrote an article about font management on iPadOS recently, I’ve been trying to cover some topics that don’t tend to get as much attention that I think could be helpful. I also have a few GitHub repositories with some little Siri Shortcuts I’ve made. 👍🏻. Again, feel free to ask if you have any questions, I like to try to be helpful with info when I can. 👍🏻

ByteBits | Kaleb Cadle | Substack

Tech and App Reviews & Thoughts. Click to read ByteBits, by Kaleb Cadle, a Substack publication. Launched 9 months ago.

kalebcadle.substack.com

KalCadle - Overview

I’m a freelance graphic designer and programming beginner. - KalCadle

github.com

 

[Kal Madda]

But I believe Apple will keep the feature locked to Stage Manager and be exclusively for M1+ iPads. That's why I noted... most iPad users don't really multitask. I think if users have Stage Manager enabled... they are more likely to multitask.


I don't often push the limit on my setup... I use a 15-inch portable display for external monitor support, so it's not like I have a large monitor to work with (keep the ultra-wide monitor for the Mac).

I guess that would make sense. I was thinking they’d possibly make the audio control settings for that feature a Control Center Applet, kind of like Print Center is. To where you access it from the Control Center, and it opens an app window with the audio controls. Now with the improved Control Center, I think we have the foundations for that kind of a feature to be added in a logical and intuitive way. 👍🏻. It would make sense if it was the default behavior of Stage Manager, even if it could be enabled separately from Stage Manager.

Yeah, eventually I’m wanting to get a portable monitor to expand my workspace on the go. Currently I mostly work with my iPad’s display, and dock it with my desktop monitor when I want a bigger screen to work with. A portable monitor would be great because I could have extra screen real-estate away from my desk. I think I’ve decided on sticking with the 11” iPad Pro when I go to upgrade to the M4, and consider getting a portable monitor to complement it if/when I want more space for things. Especially for my 3D work that could be handy for filling one of my screens with my 3D software, and the other with a set of reference photos or something else. 👍🏻 I just love the 11” form factor. I got to look at a 13” M4 iPad Pro at Best Buy, and it’s significantly lighter and thinner than prior models, and I probably could go that route, but I like that the 11” has a smaller footprint and is easier for me to carry around. 👍🏻. I’ve been thinking that if I invest in a portable monitor, I can kind of have the best of both worlds. 👍🏻

 

[SteveJUAE]

Another very subjective post. My mom never learned to use a computer, but 8 years ago when I got her her first iPad...she took right to it and never looked back. If you sit her down in front of a laptop, she just stares blankly, with a confused look on her face. I tried to teach her but she just couldn't get it. The iPad was another story. At 88 she's still going strong and now has a 9th gen iPad that I'd have to pry out of her cold dead hands. Different story for different folk, but the iPad was definitely the right device for her.😉

Another anecdotal reply

Good for your mum

Let users be happy with what they are use to or comfortable with, be it a laptop, phone or tablet IMO

An IPad is far from an ideal device for many yet others thrive on it

 

[bondr006]

An IPad is far from an ideal device for many yet others thrive on it

I agree that many are capable of thriving on an iPad, and because the iPad has become so useful….they are now discovering they have no need for a laptop.😉

 

[sparksd]

Another very subjective post. My mom never learned to use a computer, but 8 years ago when I got her her first iPad...she took right to it and never looked back. If you sit her down in front of a laptop, she just stares blankly, with a confused look on her face. I tried to teach her but she just couldn't get it. The iPad was another story. At 88 she's still going strong and now has a 9th gen iPad that I'd have to pry out of her cold dead hands. Different story for different folk, but the iPad was definitely the right device for her.😉

The iPad was the perfect device for my Mom, living on her own in her 90's.

 

[Kal Madda]

But I believe Apple will keep the feature locked to Stage Manager and be exclusively for M1+ iPads. That's why I noted... most iPad users don't really multitask. I think if users have Stage Manager enabled... they are more likely to multitask.


I don't often push the limit on my setup... I use a 15-inch portable display for external monitor support, so it's not like I have a large monitor to work with (keep the ultra-wide monitor for the Mac).

On another note, I just made a Home Screen icon for that Wallpaper shortcut another commenter shared earlier. 👍🏻. It has a transparent background, so will work with either light mode or dark mode! 👍🏻.

 

[Abazigal]

And here we are now! I'm ready to jump in again to the iPad as my main device again!
I've read many pages on this thread and it was amazing. I'll keep reading and posting here.

Can you just give me a little advice:
For the same budget (~600€ in Europe) I should go with the Air 2024 M2 or the iPad Pro 11 2021 M1? Same storage (128gb)

I am thinking an M2 iPad may be better, in that the newer processor should allow it to keep receiving software updates for another 1-2 years over the M1 iPad. The landscape front camera may also matter more?

 

[Rex.xu]

A computer is still more convenient, Ipad's functionality is not enough.

 

[bondr006]

A computer is still more convenient, Ipad's functionality is not enough.

On the other hand, for many...the iPad’s functionality is plenty enough, and a laptop is overkill for their needs. My experience is that the iPad is more convenient for my needs than a laptop. For my use, I can do things with my iPad that a laptop just cannot do. I replaced my 2019 16" i9 MBP three years ago for my mobile needs in my real estate and property management business and could never go back to the laptop. IMO, the iPad is the most flexible device Apple has ever made.😉

 

[Ludatyk]

I just want to share with the community… what I just picked up, I’m excited.

TineeOwl for iPad Pro 13 inch (M4) 2024, Adjustable Kickstand Cover - Infinite Viewing Angles, Portrait/Landscape Stand, Apple Pencil Charging, Wing Series, (Black)

✔️ Adjustable Kickstand ▶ Enjoy infinite adjustability with the built-in kickstand to achieve the perfect viewing angle. ✔️ Landscape to Portrait Instantly ▶ Best for book reading, video calls, gaming, or scrolling through long spreadsheets and documents. ✔️ Kickstand Stops at Typing Angle ▶ The ...

www.amazon.com

Been waiting for this kind of case since the M4 iPad dropped, I stumbled upon this morning and when it arrives I’d share my initial impressions. I use my iPad docked to the Magic Keyboard majority of the time, but this case can help me use it more as a traditional tablet.

 

[Kal Madda]

I just want to share with the community… what I just picked up, I’m excited.

TineeOwl for iPad Pro 13 inch (M4) 2024, Adjustable Kickstand Cover - Infinite Viewing Angles, Portrait/Landscape Stand, Apple Pencil Charging, Wing Series, (Black)

✔️ Adjustable Kickstand ▶ Enjoy infinite adjustability with the built-in kickstand to achieve the perfect viewing angle. ✔️ Landscape to Portrait Instantly ▶ Best for book reading, video calls, gaming, or scrolling through long spreadsheets and documents. ✔️ Kickstand Stops at Typing Angle ▶ The ...

www.amazon.com

Been waiting for this kind of case since the M4 iPad dropped, I stumbled upon this morning and when it arrives I’d share my initial impressions. I use my iPad docked to the Magic Keyboard majority of the time, but this case can help me use it more as a traditional tablet.

Cool! I was thinking about getting or making a case like this for my M1 iPad Pro! So you upgraded to the M4? I’m hoping to try to upgrade to the M4 sometime in the next year or so, and I think I’m going to stick to the 11”. For the kinds of things where I’ve thought about using additional screen real-estate like 3D modeling, I think a portable monitor plus an 11” iPad may be a better combo for my use-case. I’m guessing you opted for the 13”? How do you like the display? I got to see a display model for the 13” (still haven’t seen a display model for the new 11” because the Best Buy I was at didn’t have a display for it), and the the display quality looked amazing! As an 11” user, the switch to OLED will be awesome because the 11” models never got the MiniLED displays. But I do have to say, that 13” model is quite a bit lighter than previous ones, and I was a bit tempted to plan on upgrading to the 13”. But I think I’m settled back on sticking with the 11”, because I really like the footprint of it, and carrying it feels more like carrying a book or clipboard than carrying a laptop. 👍🏻

I hope you enjoy that case, it looks very handy! 👍🏻

 

[sparksd]

A computer is still more convenient, Ipad's functionality is not enough.

True for you but it depends on your needs and what you like to use so it is not universally true.

 

[Kal Madda]

A computer is still more convenient, Ipad's functionality is not enough.

It almost completely depends on what a user finds to be “convenient”. For me, it’s much more convenient to do my freelance graphic design and digital artwork on an iPad Pro than a MacBook. Same with my 3D sculpting/modeling. Same with my writing for my SubStack (due to it’s smaller and lighter form-factor that makes it easier and more convenient for me to take it with me more places). Same with experimenting with coding I do. For me, my iPad Pro is far more convenient than a MacBook could be, and more importantly, more capable and versatile. It’s not really even much of a contest. I do have a Mac, but it’s a Mac Mini, and I mostly use it for plugging in external drives so that I can have essentially my own private cloud storage for storing my larger files. I also use my Mac Mini for emulating some Windows games, running Blender occasionally, and running the desktop versions of my Affinity design software occasionally. But I actually prefer the iPad versions of the Affinity apps over the desktop versions, I find them to be more efficient for my workflow. And I prefer Nomad Sculpt + Valence3D for my 3D workflow over Blender. For me, the iPad is a far better option than a MacBook.

It’s true, for some, the MacBook is a better fit than the iPad. But this is hardly true for everyone, and I think in many cases, it isn’t for lack of the potential of the iPad to replace a MacBook for a user’s needs, but rather simply a matter of personal preference. Some people just prefer the older and more established system because they’re used to it, that’s their comfort zone. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But some are also open to using the modern, forward-thinking system that iPadOS is, and have a different set of preferences, or don’t have the same years worth of “comfort-building” if you will with macOS. And anymore, in many ways both are extremely similar.

Again, nobody here is judging those who prefer Macs. That is perfectly fine. What I don’t appreciate is the group of people who come around telling people you “can’t do real work on an iPad”, or “you can’t be a real pro and use an iPad” (insert arbitrary concept of pro workflow with some niche workflow as standard), or “ the iPad isn’t a real computer”, etc. Yes, the iPad is a real computer. Yes, there are many professional workflows for which the iPad Pro is wonderfully suited, and I would say better suited for than the MacBooks. Yes, you can do real professional work on an iPad…

I think also, often these discussions/reviews/articles are framed “can an iPad replace a MacBook?”, when an equally valid question that’s rarely if ever raised is “can a MacBook replace an iPad?” For many MacBook users, a iPad could likely replace their MacBook, and for many iPad users, a MacBook could likely replace their iPad. But it again mostly goes back to user preferences. Time and time again in these kinds of articles, I see the author appealing to his own personal preferences as if it’s some sort of universal truth/standard, as a reason why the iPad can’t replace a MacBook. I think often this question has far less to do with objective facts and much more to do with user’s personal preferences. There are some edge-cases where one device seems to objectively have an advantage over the other, but most people live in the middle. It mostly really depends on your personal preferences. My personal preference is towards the iPad, and the iPad objectively is better suited for my freelance digital art and graphic design workflow thanks to Apple Pencil support. 👍🏻

 

[Ludatyk]

Cool! I was thinking about getting or making a case like this for my M1 iPad Pro! So you upgraded to the M4?

Yup… upgraded day one! Crazy part of it… I was criticizing Apple on forcing users to upgrade our accessories and I have to admit the keyboard IS a reason to upgrade lol.

I know it might seem strange to upgrade an iPad just for the keyboard, but the new keyboard provides a laptop-like feel to it… and the bigger trackpad is a must have.

I’m hoping to try to upgrade to the M4 sometime in the next year or so, and I think I’m going to stick to the 11”. For the kinds of things where I’ve thought about using additional screen real-estate like 3D modeling, I think a portable monitor plus an 11” iPad may be a better combo for my use-case. I’m guessing you opted for the 13”? How do you like the display?

Yeah, I’ve always opted for the larger size iPad ever since Apple introduced it back in ‘15. And I have to be honest… the jump from mini-LED to OLED is not anything groundbreaking from a visual prospective. I didn’t really see anything different (at least for me).

But one major selling point is the brightness… I tend to travel with mine, I like to use it for GPS purposes and it’s exceptional for outdoor use.

But I do have to say, that 13” model is quite a bit lighter than previous ones, and I was a bit tempted to plan on upgrading to the 13”. But I think I’m settled back on sticking with the 11”, because I really like the footprint of it, and carrying it feels more like carrying a book or clipboard than carrying a laptop. 👍🏻

If you are accustomed to the 11”, I would recommend staying with that. And as you noted, you’d get to experience a better display now. Since Apple skipped mini-LED on the 11” iPad Pro.

 

[rletras]

I am thinking an M2 iPad may be better, in that the newer processor should allow it to keep receiving software updates for another 1-2 years over the M1 iPad. The landscape front camera may also matter more?

Maybe the camera could be useful. I occasionally do some video conferences, and having the camera at that position is nice.

I guess I will go with the Air M2. 128GB maybe is enough for me, my personal files aren't more than 20GB, and have a 2TB iCloud for anything else.

 

[Kal Madda]

Maybe the camera could be useful. I occasionally do some video conferences, and having the camera at that position is nice.

I guess I will go with the Air M2. 128GB maybe is enough for me, my personal files aren't more than 20GB, and have a 2TB iCloud for anything else.

Yeah, I can vouch for the 128GB of storage. I have a lot of large vector files and 3D files saved on my iPad’s native storage, plus I have around 100 apps installed, and I still have around 20-30GBs available on my 128GB M1 iPad Pro. 👍🏻. I am starting to store a lot more 3D files natively on my iPad, so upgrading the storage would probably not be a bad idea for my use-case (when I eventually upgrade to the M4 I’ll get a storage upgrade even if I go with the base-spec), but I think 128GB would probably be perfectly fine for most use-cases. 👍🏻

I forgot the camera position when I compared the pros and cons. That does seem like it would be very useful if you do a lot of video-conferencing and such. 👍🏻

 

[Ludatyk]

Yeah, I can vouch for the 128GB of storage. I have a lot of large vector files and 3D files saved on my iPad’s native storage, plus I have around 100 apps installed, and I still have around 20-30GBs available on my 128GB M1 iPad Pro. 👍🏻. I am starting to store a lot more 3D files natively on my iPad, so upgrading the storage would probably not be a bad idea for my use-case (when I eventually upgrade to the M4 I’ll get a storage upgrade even if I go with the base-spec), but I think 128GB would probably be perfectly fine for most use-cases. 👍🏻

Are you off loading files to an external drive or prefer cloud storage?

 

[Kal Madda]

Are you off loading files to an external drive or prefer cloud storage?

I use a combination of both. I have a terabyte of OneDrive storage, and I also have a decent amount of iCloud storage, but the iCloud storage is shared. I end up saving backups for a lot of my design files on OneDrive, though the OneDrive app keeps having this bug where it uses excess amounts of native storage on my iPad. I’ve tried reporting the issue to Microsoft probably more than 6 times, and their support is nothing like Apple’s putting it kindly…🙁😤

But I also like to have native storage for my files as well. So I’ve been backing up a lot of my files onto drives that my Mac Mini manages. This I view as my “local private cloud” storage, because I can technically access this storage remotely kind of like cloud storage since they’re connected to my Mac Mini. I want to eventually see about turning it into a full-fledged NAS, but currently, I access this storage remotely via VNC software. Or obviously when I’m at my office, I can access it locally.

Then I have my mobile storage solution, and that is this handy little Samsung USB-C drive:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WB2NL8W/?coliid=I31FYCO0VAM6YZ&colid=29XGSGN3UQO4L&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

The transfer speeds are not as fast as a portable SSD, but it’s still plenty snappy for most things where you’re saving less than 100 files to it at once. Seeing as I use this as supplementary file storage and not using it as a backup solution, I am typically not moving that many files at once. I have, however, moved over 100 pretty large files to it at once, and it was fairly snappy performance wise. I’m impressed with the performance for a flash drive of this size. I could use a portable SSD, and perhaps eventually I’ll decide to do so, but I really like that this drive is incredibly compact!

So, basically I have a very mixed setup. I have cloud storage for convenient file access for certain priority files when I have an internet connection (I’ve also found that in a pinch I can use my iPhone’s cellular to access these files and AirDrop copies to my iPad if I for whatever reason don’t have a local copy), my own storage drives managed by my Mac Mini in my home office space, and a Samsung flash drive for on-the-go supplementary storage for offloading larger files I don’t want to store on my native storage. 👍🏻